Scottish Communists

Over 30,000 public servants took part in the walkout, including workers at the Scottish Parliament, courts and at the passport office in Glasgow.

There were picket lines outside the Faslane nuclear submarine base, Edinburgh Castle and the parliament building in Holyrood and there was disruption at museums, jobcentres and driving test centres.

PCS Scottish secretary Lynn Henderson said: "We are proud of our members in Scotland who are taking a stand on this issue.

"Unless the UK government enters into meaningful dialogue and negotiations then these strikes will continue and PCS members will be joined by millions of public-sector workers whose pensions are under attack to fund a financial crisis which is not of their making."

PCS president Janice Godrich, who joined a picket line in Glasgow, said there was strong support for the action.

"I have to say that I think all the scaremongering, and all the intimidation quite frankly, over the last few days - particularly from senior ministers - has not had any impact on people's resolve," she said.

And STUC general secretary Grahame Smith told a rally in Glasgow's George Square: "I will not apologise and no worker should apologise if they have a final-salary pension scheme and if they can retire before they are 65.

"Unlike with the Fred Goodwins of this world, these rights didn't come about due to the generosity of the employer. They were hard won through union organisation and collective bargaining.

"Rather than apologise, we should celebrate these rights, not allow them to be taken away but be secured for all workers.

"The Prime Minister says that the so-called gold-plated pensions enjoyed by public-sector workers are not fair on the taxpayer.

"What is really not fair on the taxpayer is that we pay our taxes, unlike those big corporations or rich individuals who are avoiding their tax responsibilities to the tune of billions of pounds a year."

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/106511